I Lost Them, Too
by KamexElite
Summary: Leafpool and Bramblestar have a moment. Takes place after The Last Hope (spoilers). LeafXBramble drabble-ish oneshot.


_Snowflakes fell gracefully_ from the moonlit sky, plummeting to the frozen ground in a thin layer of frost. It had been a few moons since the great battle with the Place of No Stars and it seemed that all four Clans were recovering at a steady pace. There was peace at last.

A tabby she-cat sat outside a wall of bramble and thorns, ears pricked and attentive as she gazed out into the line of trees. Her breath billowed into clouds in front of her as the temperature began to decrease, though it didn't seem to bother her any.

She dipped her head to the last patrol of the night as they entered into the camp, looking weary. A ginger pelt brushed against her brown one as it passed by. "Goodnight, Leafpool," came the gentle purr in her ear as she touched her nose to her siblings pelt. Squirrelflight didn't seem as down as Leafpool did about their father's death, especially now that she had been named deputy.

"Goodnight," Leafpool answered in a near whisper as she watched her sister's tail disappear into the tunnel. The tabby laid her tail neatly across her paws as she turned her attention back to the surrounding forest.

Leafpool hated standing guard on night watch; it gave her too much time to reflect on the past. She thought back to the battle, her daughter Hollyleaf slaughtered by a Dark Forest tom, lying in a pool of her own blood. She shuddered and felt the thorn-sharp claw of sorrow pierce into her heart. Hollyleaf had forgiven the ex-medicine cat for the crimes she had committed and accepted her as her mother, but Leafpool wished she could have spent just a few more seasons with the black she-cat.

Firestar, her and Squirrelflight's father, had also lost the last of his lives. Sandstorm had retired to the elder's den and stated that she would be with her lost mate soon. Leafpool hoped that her mother would be with her at least for a little while longer; she didn't think she could handle another loss, not for a while at least.

She pushed the thoughts away; they were only making her feel worse. She focused back on her duty, watching over the Clan as they slept. Her ears twitched as the bracken trembled behind her and she turned to a muscular brown tabby shape emerging from behind it.

"Bramblestar," she meowed with a dip of her head. "It's getting late, is everything alright?" She asked with a flash of concern in her amber eyes.

The massive tom looked at her and gave her a nod, looking more dignified now than when he was deputy. "Quite alright," he replied calmly. "I'm just having a hard time getting to sleep." Bramblestar sat down next to her, his tail stirring up a few fallen leaves as he sat back on his haunches. He tilted his head up toward Silverpelt, the warriors of StarClan glittering in his own amber eyes.

The two cats were both quiet for a long time. Silence hung in the air so thick that even the sharpest claw couldn't slice through it. "I lost them too," Bramblestar announced suddenly. "Firestar was my mentor and Hollyleaf…" He struggled for a minute or two, searching for the right words. "I was proud to think of her as my daughter."

Leafpool couldn't help but admire the tom's honesty; he hadn't always been the most open cat. "Sometimes I wish they had really had been yours and Squirrelflight's." She admitted as her gaze flickered to her white paws. She meant what she had said; she loathed the fact that Lionblaze and Jayfeather still treated her with bitterness, and her hatred for Crowfeather was almost too much for her to bear. "Hollyleaf might still be here."

Bramblestar laid his tail across her shoulders, attempting to comfort the small tabby. "Even if they were, I don't think that would change a thing," he meowed honestly and gave her a long sideways glance. Leafpool still stared at her paws, staying silent.

The Clan leader rose to his paws and pressed his muzzle against Leafpool's. "Stay warm," he meowed as he turned and headed back through the tunnel into camp. Leafpool watched him go, giving him nothing more than a flick of her tail. Her amber eyes flickered back to the trees.


End file.
